6 Ways Volunteering Helps Your Career

Much like continuing education, volunteering can positively impact your career and your likelihood of being considered for a position within your desired industry. To get the most out of your volunteer experience, you need to be strategic with your time and plan. Knowing how volunteering helps your career will help you form a solid volunteering strategy to push your career further forward.

This article will discuss how volunteering can help your career, from building meaningful work experiences to networking opportunities, as well as offer some ideas on how you can stand out from the competition. 

1. Builds Work Experience

Volunteering is a valuable method for building work experience and expanding your skill set. Particularly, volunteering could help you learn skills and practice jobs in your industry you may not otherwise be considered for due to your current experience or existing work schedule. 

Depending on the volunteer opportunities, volunteering could gain you new technical skills in your industry, such as how to use certain software, or help you gain soft skills, such as public speaking and leadership. However, many people use volunteering to strengthen existing skills using fresh perspectives and new venues.

2. Adds Volunteer Work to Your Resume

While it may not seem like much, giving your volunteer work its own designated spot on your resume will highlight your variety of experience to prospective employers, especially if your volunteer experience differs from your work experience and education. In fact, according to a study, sharing volunteer work experience when applying for a new position increases your chance of employment by 27%. 

Amid the current skills gap and talent shortage, many employers are looking for candidates who have an assortment of skills. Even if the volunteer work on your resume doesn't match the particular skills they're looking for, it clearly shows both your ability and willingness to learn.

3. Demonstrates Your Dedication

Regularly volunteering, or even just volunteering on occasion, proves to prospective and current employers that your love for your career extends beyond monetary gain. Money is, of course, one of the reasons why we work, but by taking the time to volunteer, you prove that practicing your craft is about more than just the paycheck. 

This is a key aspect that many employers look for in candidates and when selecting employees for promotions. By volunteering, you're demonstrating you will go above and beyond to complete the task at hand.

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4. Provides Networking Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities are also chances for networking, as long as you present yourself well. The organization you're volunteering for is more likely to hire you for any open positions if they know you and see your work ethic. However, it's also crucial to network with other volunteers and people connected to the organization and industry.

Keep in touch with contacts beyond the volunteer times. A strong social media presence, such as on LinkedIn, keeps you on the minds of employers, leverages yourself within networks, and keeps you updated with job openings.

5. Keeps Your Career Active

Some people use volunteering as a way to stay engaged between jobs or major projects. Almost every major industry is undergoing both practical and technological changes, so it can be easy to fall behind. 

Regularly volunteering in the absence of paid work will keep you updated with new industry changes and advances while also honing your skills. This way, when you finally return to work or start a new job, you'll be ready to hit the ground running. 

6. Expands Your Experience to a New Industry

Volunteering is also useful for exploring other industries and markets, whether you're interested in changing careers or expanding your current career. If you're interested in switching careers altogether, volunteering before quitting your current position will give you some experience so you aren't starting from scratch. 

With the rising skills gap, learning new skills, particularly those from neighboring industries, will make you a more desirable candidate to prospective employers. If you already have a paid job, volunteering in other industries could help with networking and skills training, letting you bring everything you've learned back to your organization.

Knowing how volunteering can help your career is crucial to making the most of your time. Volunteering helps with networking, applying for jobs, and building work experience, but it can also take a huge amount of time out of your schedule if you aren't strategic. For more tips and resources on how to strategize the best volunteer plan for your career, visit iHire's job seeker resource center.